Lubricating means for roller pulverizers and the like



Jilly 26, 1932- A. H. PRITCHAD I LUBRICATING MEANS FOR ROLLEii PULVERIZERS AND THE LIKE 2 Shee tSSheet 1 Filed Sept. 25, 1926 2 1 a 5 M a mm 8 7 my m U 5 a w A w ad w m m f x a a \wwww W 3: 4 g S m 1 {111} a a n ,r v i k 2 5 R: j. a a 1 a w w A ATTORNEYS July 26, 1932. Y A. H. PRITCHARD LUBRICATING MEANS FOR ROLLER PULVERIZERS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 25, 1926- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 61a ATTORNEY 5 Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR H. PRITCHARD, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSI GNOR TO VACUUM OIL COMPANY, INC., 015 NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK LUBRIGATIN G MEANS FOR ROLLER PULVERIZERS AND THE LIKE Application filed Sept-ember 23, 1926. Serial No. 137,187.

side the housing of the machine to the casing of a lubricator, within the housing, which rotates with the mechanism enclosed within the housing.

7 To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described: the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

' Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a portion of a roller pulverizer constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing the manner in which the feed pipes lead from the lubricator to different bearings;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the manner in which the lubricator is driven and is supplied with air and the liquid lubricant; and V Fig. 4 shows the lubricator in elevation and the manner in which it is mounted in the pulverizer.

Referring more particularly to the illustrated. embodiment of the invention, 1 indicates the main frame of the pulverizer which has a grinding chamber 2 at the lower portion of which is arranged the pulverizing or bull ring 3. Extending centrally through the grinding chamber is a vertically arranged spindle or main shaft 4: supported as is'common in a step bearing, not shown, at its lower end below the grinding chamber and driven througha crowngear 5 operated in any suitable manner. A central bearing sleeve 6 projects upwardly through the grinding chamher. being supported by an. integral flange 7 at the lower end thereof forming part of the bottom of the grinding chamber. The spindle or shaft 4.- projects above this bearing 6 and carries at its upper end a spider or frame 'ing temperatures encountered and the in- 8 on which is supported a plurality of bearing sleeves or v frames 9. These bearing sleeves or frames are each pivoted at to the spider 8 so as to swing about horizontal axes on said spider. In the bearing frames or sleeves 9 are arranged shafts or spindles 10a. These spindles project below the ends of the sleeves and carry grinding rollers 11 at their lower ends for cooperating with the pulverizing' or bull ring 3. Also carried by the spider or head 8 is a sleeve 12 which depends from the spider or head 8 about the stationary bearing sleeve 6, its lower end being deflected outwardly at 1 3. This type of pulverizer is known and is now on the market so a more specific description and illustration thereof is unnecessary. In the opera-- tion of the pulverizer the shaft 4 rotates and turns the head 8 which carries the bearing sleeve 9 therewith. The rollers 11 are maintained outwardly against the bull ring by centrifugal force and rotate by contact with the bull ring and the material. The fine or pulverized material is drawn ofii by a stream of air as is common.

The lubrication of thistype of pulverizer has heretofore been a problem. It has been lubricated with a grease, but this method of lubrication has proved inefficient due to varyability to use a lubricant which would meet has been'necessary to stop the operation of the machine.

to use a lubricant which will not be materially affected by climatic conditions and it is possible to maintain a constant feed from the lubricator without the necessity of stopping the machine. Provision has been made for checking from the outside the fact that oil is being fed and the quantity'of lubricant delivered may be controlled,thereby providing economy in operation.

The foregoing results are attained by the use of a mechanical oil-feeding lubricator of According to this invention it is possible .90

will be understood that this arrangement, as

shown, is diagrammatic and does not repre sent the details of any actual commercial design.

The lubricator is carried by, and revolves with the main shaft 4, being secured by a collar 15 to the upper end of the shaft 4 so that its operating shaft 16 is in line with the axis of turning of the shaft 4. This operating shaft is provided with a coupling member '17 which detachably connects with a coupling 7 several bearings are lubricated steadily, at

member 18 mounted on a cross bar 19 at the top of the pulverizer. It is apparent that when the shaft 4 and the head rotate, the lubricator will be operated due to the fact that the coupling member 18 is stationary, and the shaft 16 will be held against turning relatively to the coupling 18 so that turning movement between the shaft and the body of the lubricator will result, thus operating the mechanism of the lubricator.

With the end in view of venting the lubricator 14, the shaft 16 is provided with a passageway 20, see Fig. 3, which leads into the casing of the lubricator and also connects by a pipe 21, with a vent opening 22 on the outside of the housing 23 which encloses the operating parts of the pulverizer. In this way, air is permitted to enter the lubricator without drawing into the lubricator the dust from the interior of the casing 23. This venting attachment maybe also utilized for admitting lubricant rather than air, thus maintaining a constant supply of lubricant within the lubricator. With this in view, to the pipe 21 may be connected a filling receptacle 24 above the vent 22, this filling receptacle having a sight opening 25, whereby the level of the lubricant in the receptacle 24 may be readily ascertained.

The lubricator has as usual a plurality of discharges 26 and these discharges may be connected to any bearings in the pulverizer requiring lubrication. In this instance, from one of these discharges a flexible tube 27 leads to a passageway 28 in the head 8. This passageway communicates with a chamber 29 formed in the upper end of the rotating sleeve 12, its discharge being located above a cup 30 which is supported on the upper end of the stationary bearing 6, this cup having the shaft 4 turning therein below the upper edge of the cup so that the cup collects the lubricant discharged from the passageway 28 and feeds the same downwardly along the shaft 4 and Within the bearing sleeve 6 so as to lubricate that portion of the shaft 4 turning in the bearing sleeve. The upper edge of this cup is below the top of the chamber 29 and when filled, the lubricant overflows the cup and then descends through the sleeve 12 to a. cup 31 at the lower end of the bearing 6, this cup 31 having small outlets 32 at its bottom which permit the lubricant to discharge onto the gear wheel 5.

From other outlets 26 of the lubricator 14 may lead flexible pipes 33 which connect with closed lubricant chambers 34 formed in the upper ends of the swinging bearing sleeves 9 and enclosing the upper ends of the shafts 10a. From these closed lubricant chambers 34, the lubricant passes downwardly about the shafts 10a and through the bearing sleeves 9, maintaining the latter in a lubricated condition. 7

Whenever the pulverizer is in operation the the necessary rate as determined by the adjustment of the lubricator, and the operation may be observed and verified by the fall in level of the lubricant in the filler receptacle 24. Since this receptacle is above the lubricator and all of the oil passages and bearings, there is aconstant positive oil pressure within these parts, so that no dust-laden air can enter and contaminate the lubricant.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination, with a stationary member, a main shaft journalled therein, and a bearing supported and revolved by said shaft, of an automatic power-driven lubricator having a casing carried by and rotatable with the main shaft, and a drive shaft, for actuating the mechanism of the lubricator, journalled in said casing, said drive shaft being fixed against rotation by con nection with said stationary member, and a duct through which the lubricator discharges lubricant to said bearing.

2. The combination, with a stationary member, a main shaft journalled therein,

and a bearing supported and revoluble by said shaft, of an automatic power-driven lubricator having a casing carried by and rotatable with the main shaft, and a drive shaft, for actuating the mechanism of the lu-.

bricator, journalled in said casing and substantially coaxial with the main shaft, the drive shaft having therein a passage communicating with the interior of the casing and being fixed against rotation by connection with said stationary member, a duct through which the lubricator discharges lubricant to said bearing, and stationary means for feeding lubricant, through the drive shaft, to the casing of the lubricator.

3. The combination, with a machine comprising a housing, a main shaft rotatable therein, a bearing carried by said shaft, and a member supported in said bearing, revoluble by said shaft and also movable relatively thereto, Within said housing, of a powerdriven automatic lubricator comprising a casing mounted on and rotated by the main shaft, a drive shaft, for actuating the mechanism of the lubricator, journalled in said casing and connected with said housing so as not to rotate With the casing of the 1ubricator, said drive shaft having a passage communicating With the interior of the casing of the lubricator, a duct through which the lubricator discharges lubricant to said hearing, and a duct extending, from said passage in the drive shaft, to a point outside the housing of the machine.

ARTHUR H. PRIT CHARD. 

